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Can Effective Policy Implementation Alter Political Selection? Evidence from Female Legislators in India

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  • Anukriti, S
  • Calvi, Rossella
  • Chakravarty, Abhishek

Abstract

Can effective policy implementation change political selection by inducing voters to prioritize leader competence over other traits, such as gender? We answer this question by examining the impact of a successful school-expansion program on the likelihood of women being elected to state legislatures in India. We show that the program increased voter prioritization of leader competence over gender, boosting the share of women among candidates and state parliamentarians and the overall capability of elected officials. These findings are consistent with the predictions of a model of candidate self-selection where voters trade-off candidate competence with their bias against female leaders.

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  • Anukriti, S & Calvi, Rossella & Chakravarty, Abhishek, 2024. "Can Effective Policy Implementation Alter Political Selection? Evidence from Female Legislators in India," CEPR Discussion Papers 18752, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:18752
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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